PHILADELPHIA — This is the way the Flyers were supposed to win this season. The gritty way, success by virtue of stinginess.

Employing the kind of forechecking tenacity that should be their trademark rather than an occasional hobby, the Flyers snuffed the NHL’s best scoring team Tuesday night, winning a 2-1 game over the Tampa Bay Lightning that on paper simply didn’t compute.

Against a Tampa team averaging nearly five goals per game, the Flyers and Ilya Bryzgalov played their best defensive game of the season.

Against a Lightning crew that bombed the Flyers by four goals nine nights prior, the Flyers employed a premier checking game. Tampa’s lowest shots on goal total of the season previous to this game was 25. On this night, Bryzgalov had to make several big stops, but only 21 saves total.

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Oh, and in keeping with the atmosphere of the unusual at Wells Fargo Center, Tom Sestito scored.

Twice.

The Flyers’ young enforcer, ticketed for the Phantoms after overcoming a case of the mumps just prior to the week-long training camp earlier this month, twice got the puck in prime scoring position ... and twice knew what to do with it.

Apparently, Lightning goalie Anders Lindback, who otherwise played well, had trouble figuring out Sestito’s sole scoring move, deke, go to the backhand and shovel for all he’s worth.

Both times, the puck went flipping between Lindback’s legs. The first time came 4:25 into the second period, giving the Flyers a 1-0 lead while the Lighting - who entered having scored 39 times in eight games - were still trying to figure out how to break through the Flyers’ defenses.

On the rare occasions they did, Bryzgalov was his usual reliable self. Yes, that is what he’s been this season.

Bryzgalov was flashy in stopping elite goal scorer Steve Stamkos, who had a one timer from point-blank range but couldn’t beat the sideways sliding Bryz.

He also made a terrific save on rookie Cory Conacher, whose rebound shot looked as if it had a tying goal written on it ... then didn’t.

The Lightning (6-3) did finally tie it up, courtesy of a Flyers defensive breakdown in the third period. While a puck battled ensued in a near corner, Tampa’s Benoit Pouliot camped out in front without much notice. Teddy Purcell got the puck and rifled it to him, and Pouliot easily lifted it past the dead-to-rights Bryzgalov at 9:30 for 1-1.

But all weirdness soon broke out, as what had been a period-long offensive push by the Lightning suddenly seemed to wane. It was then that the Flyers kicked into what appeared to be a harmless 3-on-2 with their fourth line.

But Max Talbot threw a backhand pass that Ruslan Fedotenko tipped over to the wide-open (and why not?) Sestito. Once again, he deked to the backhand, Lindback froze ... and with 8:44 left in regulation the Flyers led again.

Perhaps most memorable about their performance was the penalty they killed after that goal. Mike Knuble went off for a slash, the Lightning held the puck in the zone for almost the whole penalty ... and Tampa wound up not getting a shot through on Bryzgalov.

The Flyers responded in similar fashion just thereafter, when Lindback was pulled from his net for an extra skater.

That Lightning advantage went to a two-man with 13.6 seconds left, as Braydon Coburn went off for holding the stick. It didn’t matter.